“In my experience, creative people discover and realize their visions over time and through dedicated, protracted struggle.”
Ed Catmull, Creativity, Inc.
Leaders may feel like they have to have it all figured out. Speakers and authors tend to write about vision as if it is something that comes through some sort of Divine revelation that is then passed down to others to convince them to follow you.
I can see how a lot of potential leaders and creative people might get frustrated by this advice.
What if we don’t have a clear vision for the future, for our project, for our book, for our company, etc.?
In Creativity, Inc. Ed Catmull points out that Pixar didn’t have a clear vision for their company or for their individual movies when they first started out. In fact, the reason for their success is their willingness to discover that vision over time.
Their movies get better through a willingness to iterate, change, and improve as a result of candid feedback. A writer and producer may come up with an idea for a movie that becomes totally different by the time it is released.
So, instead of coming up with a vision and sticking to it without any adaptation, pick a direction and be open to the discovery of a clearer vision over time.
